COOK’S THIRD VOYAGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3755, 2 March 1926, Page 86

COOK’S THIRD VOYAGE.

A RARE BOOK. MISSING ZIMMERMAN STORY. (From f jr Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, February 24. With reference to the fable message stating that the rare book ‘The Missing Zimmerman Story of the Travels of Captain James Cook In the South Seas,” has been discovered in Switzerland and is being sent to Victoria, 8.C., Mr Johannes Andersen states that there is in the priceless collection of rare books in the Turnbull Library a copy of the Zimmerman narrative of Cook’s third voyage In the Pacific. It is possible, judging from the cable message, that the copy in the Turnbull Library is the only one of 1781 now in existence. At any rate it must be most rare. The book, written in German, was published at Mannheim, Germany, by C. F. Schwan in 1781, two years earlier than that mentioned in the cable message. The title page of the book is as follows: —’‘Heinrich Zimmerman von Witsloch in der phalz reisa urn die welt mit Capitain Cook.” The book is dedicated to Albert von Oberndorf. The writer In his preface says that whilst, full accounts of the voyage have been published by Captain Cook himself, he feels that it is his duty to publish his own narrative, which is from the point of view of an ordinary seaman. The book is of octavo size, and a search shows that from the year 1887 to the present date the book does not appear to have been in the London market. Included in the personnel of Cook’s expedition were two German scientists —namely, Mr J. R. Forster and his son, both prominent botanists of that day. Mr Forster, sen., himself published a book on the vovae.-v which is an excellent narrative. The writer of the Zimmermann account was an able seaman on the Resolution, and his work must have been considered of sufficient iniportancce in that day to justify publication of a book of 110 pages. COOK’S LAST VOYAGE. Cook's third and last voyage was primarily to settle the question of the North-west passage, a problem taken up as a matter of scientific interest by the British Government. Sailing from the Nore on June 25, 1776 (Plymouth, July 12), with the Resolution and the Discovery, and touching at the Cape of Good Hope, which he 'eft on November 30, Cook next made Tasmania, and next passed on to New Zealand and the Tonga and Society Islands, discovering on his way several of the larger members of the Cook Archipelago, especially Mangaia and Aititaki (March 30 and April 4, 1777). From Tahiti, as he moved north towards the main object of his expedition, he made a far more important discovery, or, rather, rediscovery—that of the Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands. He then sailed along the coast of North America, touching at numerous points, and he visited the Asiatic shores of Behring Strait On his return voyage he called again at Hawaii (January 17, 1779). The importance of these islands he now first realised, and in one of the bays (Kaealakekua) he met his death early in the morning of February 14, 1779. During the night of February 13 one of the Discovery’s boat 3 was stolen by the natives. Having landed on the following day with some marines, trouble ensued, which compelled the party to retreat to their boats. Cook was the last to retire, and as he was nearing the shore he received a blow from behind which felled him to the ground. He rose immediately and vigorously resisted the crowds which pressed upoß him, but was soon overpowered and killed.